Nonstop Amsterdam-London Train Due to Start Service

A nonstop train from Amsterdam to London is due to start service at the end of April, according to the Dutch rail company NS. One-way tickets start at 40 euros ($44).

A train from London to Amsterdam already exists, but passengers looking to travel in the other direction must change trains and go through passport formalities in Brussels. This new route allows passengers to go through passport checks in Amsterdam before boarding the train.

NS president-director Roger van Boxtel believes that the new service will new service will improve transport ties between the Netherlands and Britain despite the U.K.’s departure from the European Union.

“Brexit or not, from April 30 London is getting closer,” he said in a statement.

Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Cora van Nieuwenhuizen says that the train will be a viable alternative to traveling by airplane. “The direct connection makes the train journey to London easier and in particular quicker,” she said.

The train will take approximately four hours to travel from Amsterdam Central Station to St. Pancras in London. A direct service from the port city of Rotterdam to London will begin May 18.